European Market and Still Remaining Barriers to Genuinely Free Movement of Goods: the Role of Technical Regulations

Abstract

In this paper the authors analyze the metamorphosisof understanding trade in Europe: from Antics, from thefirst systemized economic attitudes in early middle agesthrough mercantilists and Adam Smith who laid downthe basement of classical political economy. Free tradewas considered as one of motive powers in the wholeeconomic process.Physiocracy, Classical economics, Marxist economy,Historical School, Marginalists and Neoclassikesproceeded, supplemented or disputed that theory untilthe XX century, discovering main principles in microeconomics.XX century was mainly devoted to macroeconomicsand global problems. Great Depression proved thattrade restrictions depending on its size lead to economicdisaster. In the second half of XX century Europe decidedto achieve free trade at least between the memberstates. The idea of Single Market was born and formallycompleted. The EU internal market is supposed to be anarea without any trade barriers. It is supposed to be butthere is still much to do in achieving a really unhamperedflow of goods and services in Europe, and notonly enlargement leaves the problem open. The legalbasis of the EU permits the possibility to misuse healthand safety requirements as a hamper of full economicintegration of the expanding EU family.